TRAVEL INFORMATION

Conference Venue
The Conference took place at the Hotel Inter-Continental in the centre of Berlin, next to the famous shopping mile Kurfürstendamm. Many attractions are a short walk from the Conference Hotel, or can easily be reached by public transport.

In the direct neighbourhood you can find the Zoological Garden, Germany's oldest zoo, and with 19 000 species, it represents one of the world's most bio-diverse.

The Conference Hotel is located in the district Tiergarten, Germany's political centre. Here you will find embassies, the presidential office Schloß Bellevue, the chancellor’s new office Bundeskanzleramt and the Brandenburger Tor. Visiting the federal parliament, the renovated Reichstag, provides the most spectacular view from the top of the glass dome that is open to the public and attracts thousands of visitors each day (last admission 10:00 pm, open until 12:00 midnight).

For the last 10 years Berlin has been going through a breathtaking change that is still continuing. The city is cosmopolitan, lively, and diverse, offering a broad variety of cultural, entertainment and leisure activities.

Since the opening of the Wall, the Potsdamer Platz has changed from neglected wasteland to Berlin's new centre. A complete new and modern quarter was built: shops, restaurants, cinemas, a casino and a musical theatre that attracts local citizens as well as tourists just as the impressive architecture and the Sony Centre.

2004 has been heralded as the "Year of Museums" by Berlin. Among these are world cultural treasures covering such diverse fields as the Pergamon Altar (Museum Island), fine art (Old National Gallery) and technological knowledge (Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin), where our Conference Gala Dinner takes place.

Some highlights at a glance:

Opened in 2003, the Jewish Museum Berlin is one of the most visited museums. The silvery, zinc-faced building with its sheer, apparently windowless extension is an impressing example of modern architecture. The exhibition recounts the history and life of German Jews and gives vivid reminders of the Holocaust. Tip: On Mondays, the museum is open until 10:00 pm, the guided tour starts at 7:00 pm.

At present, the New National Gallery close by Potsdamer Platz shows 200 selected masterpieces from the New York Museum of Modern Art (called MoMA). You can get VIP-tickets and information at the MoMA-Shop in the Conference Hotel. The Museum is open until 6:00 pm, on Thursday and Friday until 10:00 pm (closed Mondays).

The well-known representative of art photography Helmut Newton decided to move his entire collection to Berlin before his death this year. As of June 3, 2004, the Museum of Photography is open to the public. The first exhibition "Sex and Landscapes" is shown in the classicist building opposite the Bahnhof Zoo, nearby the Conference Hotel (open until 6:00 pm, closed Mondays).

If you are looking for a guided sightseeing-tour, take the bus which stops near the Conference Hotel (opposite to the Gedächtniskirche, every 15 minutes). Or take a tour by boat to discover that Berlin has more bridges than Venice. Hourly, a ship starts at the Corneliusbrücke, a three minutes’ walk from our Conference Hotel. You can cruise along the canals through the government quarter, as well as the historical and modern part of Berlin.

Finally, a comprehensive and diverse social program was offered including Theatre, Opera, Festivals, Museums, Sightseeing and Excursions; detailed information was available from the Conference Hotel Concierge.